REVEREND AL SHARPTON, MSNBC ANCHOR, POLITICS NATION: A major announcement from Governor Jay Nixon. After days of unrest following the death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown, the headline tonight, the Missouri state highway patrol will take over supervising security in Ferguson. The governor moved to restore calm saying he`s making a change -- an operational shift.

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GOV. JAY NIXON (D), MISSOURI: This is the place are where people work, go to school, raise your families, go to church, a diverse community, a Missouri community. But lately it`s looking a little bit more like a war zone. And that`s not acceptable. We need to address some very immediate challenges. That`s why today, I am announcing that the Missouri highway patrol under the supervision of Captain Ron Johnson who grew up in the area will direct the team that provides security in Ferguson.

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SHARPTON: Captain Ron Johnson, the new man in charge grew up in Ferguson.

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CAPTAIN RONALD JOHNSON, HEAD, MISSOURI HIGHWAY PATROL: I understand that the anger and fear that the citizens of Ferguson are feeling. Our police officers will respect both of those.

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SHARPTON: The change came after a day of mounting pressure nationwide. Missouri senator, Claire McCaskill, spoke out for demilitarizing the police and criticized swat teams saying quote "this kind of response by the police has become the problem instead of the solution." And senator majority leader Harry Reid said quote "it is hard to think that the scenes unfolding in Ferguson are taking place in the year 2014."

Also today, attorney general Eric Holder briefed President Obama on the situation in Ferguson and made news saying the justice department is offering technical assistance to local authorities. President Obama called the for peace and calm saying there is no excuse for police to use excessive force.

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BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There is never an excuse for violence against police or for those who use this as a cover for vandalism or looting. There is also no excuse for police to use excessive force against peaceful protesters or to throw protesters in jail for lawfully exercising their first amendment rights.

And here in the United States of America police should not bully or arrest rest journalists who are trying to report to the American people what they see on the ground.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Tonight, Missouri authorities are making a change as the nation braces for what`s ahead. Joining me now in Ferguson is slate.com`s Jamelle Bouie who has been covering the story on the ground in Ferguson, Jonathan Capehart from the "Washington Post" and on the phone is Missouri Congressman Lacy Clay whose district includes Ferguson.

Thank you all for being here.

REP LACY CLAY, MISSOURI (via phone): Thank you for having us, Reverend Sharpton. And let me thank you and the National Action Network for coming to St. Louis and meeting with the family of Michael Brown. I have been in touch with Ms. McSpadden as well as her attorney Crump. And our heartfelt condolences go out to the family. And I assured her that I am seeking justice for her family and for the death of her son, for the murder of her son.

SHARPTON: Let me ask you, Congressman.

CLAY: Go ahead.

SHARPTON: Are you happy with the governor did today and do you want more action from the federal government?

CLAY: I am fully supportive of what the federal government has done so far. We have been in constant contact. And I will continue to work with the governor until we get justice for that family in Ferguson, Missouri.

First and foremost, they and the St. Louis community deserve justice for the murder of an 18-year-old young man. And so, I will continue to urge the governor to go for a fair prosecution and I will continue to urge Eric Holder to take over the prosecution of this case so that there are no tricks by prosecutors in St. Louis County. So that there is no cover up by the same as county policeman (INAUDIBLE). There is confidence in either one of those authorities in St. Louis now. And so, we have to move beyond that.

SHARPTON: And now, let me ask you, Jamelle. You have been covering this from the beginning. The head of the highway patrol said protesters will see a different approach tonight. Listen to this.

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JOHNSON: When we talk about boots on the ground, my boots are going to be on the ground. And actually, I plan on tonight myself walking to the quick trip that has been called ground zero and meeting with the folks there myself tonight. And so, we are going to have a different approach.

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SHARPTON: Now, Jamelle, you were out there last night in the thick of these attacks by police with teargas. You were out there. You smelled it. You inhaled it. You saw and felt firsthand what many of us saw on television. I mean, I had just gotten back from St. Louis and I couldn`t believe my eyes.

From the vantage point of the protesters and those covering it, what do we need to see? What changes do we need to see from authorities and describe to us what it felt like being out there last night.

JAMELLE BOUIE, SLATE.COM: So you know, with regards to last night, I will say that I was on the peripheral of the teargasing and the shooting of the rubber bullets. I was there. But most of the protests like stepped away into another area for a bit, came back and by that point everything had just broken loose.

So did smell teargas and I heard all the shooting. I wasn`t directly in the thick of it. I will say that what I think protesters want from the police is just a totally are proportional approach to crowd control. I think we can agree that when there are big demonstrations, there should be a police presence in case people get injured, in case things do get out of hand.

These hasn`t been getting out of hand at all. They have only escalated once the police brought in armored vehicles, once they brought in heavy weapons and once they brought in the things that shouldn`t -- the police have no interest in communication.

So I think for tonight, and for this evening, what I hope we see is a standard police response, regular uniformed police. You know, not training heavy weapons, not raining rifles on the crowd, just doing their best to make sure people that don`t get hurt and don`t get injured.

SHARPTON: Because I think that is part of the misnomer, Jamelle and Congressman. I keep hearing people say there were riots every night, there was looting and violence and wrong action on Sunday night. But when I was there on Tuesday, we had a huge rally, as Jamelle knows, with hundreds of people. I didn`t see any violence. And people were coming together. It`s when they rolled this other equipment out that I think tensions began escalating.

CLAY: And what I have heard today, Reverend Sharpton, is that the police force who get this military equipment are not even properly trained to use it. And for them and for these folks demonstrator who are my constituents, don`t deserve to look into the barrel of a machine gun in order to peacefully assemble. And all of that needs to be addressed in the same community as well as an entire national conversation about this.

SHARPTON: Now Jonathan Capehart, there was a huge political wave that really came with real strength today to kind of push back against what we saw last night from the police. Tell us about the impact of impact of that. I mean, from the president of the United States, attorney general Harry Reid, on and on and on. This was a big political shift in how we address this case as well as how we address how they are dealing with policing the protest.

JONATHAN CAPEHART, OPINION WRITER, THE WASHINGTON POST: Well, really, the shift began with the public around this time yesterday when the pictures were coming out from people on the ground there like Jamelle showing the armored personnel carriers. The cops in riot gear. The police in their, you know, put their sniper rifles on top of these vehicles training them down on protesters. And that those images kept being tweeted and retweeted as the hours went along. And then the live streaming of the teargas being thrown at protesters as we are seeing on the screen now.

The pressure was mounting on elected officials to do something, say something, show that what we were all seeing on our televisions and on twitter was unacceptable. I myself yesterday several times tweeted out where is Governor Nixon? Where is Mayor Knowles? Where is the police chief Tom Jackson?

With all of this happening, it seemed like no one was in charge. That yes, there was lawlessness but not on the part of the protesters. But on the part of people who were supposed to protect and serve.

And so, last night, I do want to say one thing. Of all those public officials I was calling out for, there was one public official who actually -- at least by twitter was letting it be known that she saw what was happening and she was on the phone with the justice department and others and that was senator Claire McCaskill, the junior senator from Missouri. She was engaged and involved. And to his credit, Governor Nixon did tweeted some things out around midnight. But we didn`t hear from him or oh see from him until today.

SHARPTON: Well, let me go back to the congressman on that. Because one thing I notice, Congressman Clay, is no county police were at the governor`s press conference. Is that a signal of something? Should we read anything into that? Do they know they`re out?

CLAY: Sure. For sure. And for you and Jonathan, any of this (INAUDIBLE). What`s important is what happens over the next week on how we deal with policing in our community. It`s OK to tweet and to put out signals. But what do we do to actually change the dynamic of how police could police the African-American community.

And so, that`s going to require systemic change. And I`m willing to say that now, and I hope my colleagues like Senator Claire McCaskill are willing to work with me along with Governor Nixon. I have been in constant contact with Nixon all week, urging him to make changes in the policing method. And then -- and when you think about it, that`s the spark that ignited all of this, was the murdering of an 18-year-old young man in Ferguson, Missouri by police.

SHARPTON: Let me go back to you, Jamelle. You`re on the ground. You`re there. What do you expect tonight? Will there be protests, peaceful protests? What do you expect to see tonight?

BOUIE: So for the past two hours, there`s been a peaceful demonstration by the quick trip that was burned down Sunday night. And earlier today, there was a similar demonstration across from the police department and city hall . So we should expect both things to continue through the evening.

I think a large group of people have begun walking down the street we are on now. And I expect, you know, yes, there is going to be continued demonstrations from, you know, a wide variety of people. I think what folks need to understand about this demonstrations is they are diverse with a broad crowd.

SHARPTON: Yes, they are.

BOUIE: This is very much a concern for the entire Ferguson community.

SHARPTON: And it`s been multiracial of all ages clearly. And at the big rally that I spoke at the other night, it was clear that people were not making conclusions. They just want a fair process. And that`s the spirit of the area and Congressman Clay is represented it awhile. And he is always said let`s be fair.

Thank you Congressman Lacy Clay for being on by phone. Jamelle Bouie and Jonathan Capehart, thank you for time.

Still ahead, will today`s operational shift stop another night of chaos? We`ll hear from journalists and film makers arrested and even teargased by police.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Holy (bleep).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See, they`re media, too.

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SHARPTON: Also growing concerns about the Michael Brown investigation. A new witness comes forward to talk about the shooting.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The kid body jerked as if he was hit. And as his body jerked he turned around, he put his hands up. And the cop did continues to walk up on him and shoot him until he goes down.

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SHARPTON: Also, this is America, not a war zone. Do sniper rifles and military vehicles belong on our city streets? That`s ahead on a special edition of "Politics Nation" on MSNBC.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is their everyday life. They`re mad. They`re mad. I`m mad. We should all be mad, man. We should all be angry because of what`s going on right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How can we feel like we can have free speech if there is a guy staring down a sniper rifle as we speak?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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SHARPTON: The Missouri state police will take over security in Ferguson after officers dressed in riot gear, arresting journalists. How did this happen and what can we expect tonight? Next.

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OBAMA: And here in the United States of America, police should not be bullying or arresting journalists who are just trying to do their jobs and report to the American people on what they see on the ground.

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SHARPTON: President Obama today condemning the disproportionate show of police force toward some journalists in Ferguson, Missouri. Wesley Lowery of "the Washington Post" and Ryan Reilly of "the Huffington Post" were in a McDonald`s in Ferguson last night when officers dressed in riot gear told them to leave, Lowery caught part of the exchange on video.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Grab your stuff. Let`s go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m working on it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop videotaping.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have the right to videotape you, sir.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hurry up. Let`s go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please don`t wave your gun at me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let`s go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are see me working.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don`t tell me --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Time to go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please don`t wave a gun at me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are down to 45 seconds. Let`s go.

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SHARPTON: The two reporters were arrested, put in a holding cell and later released. No the rights were read and they didn`t get any answers.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So you`re saying there is not going to be an arrest report?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. We are not arresting or detained.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were told a litany of charges. Officers had a lot to say to us. Despite that there won`t be any --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They told us to release you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where is the chief?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Somewhere.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have to go out that door.

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SHARPTON: What was that? Arrested with no reason given? They weren`t the only ones targeted. A photo journalist from the NBC affiliate KSDK was shooting footage when a bean bag round hit his camera equipment. Officers also launched teargas and a crew from Aljazeera America. Even though reporters said they identified themselves as press. Officers dismantled the crew`s lights and pointed their cameras toward the ground.

St. Louis alderman Antonio French was also arrested last night. He said officers dragged him out of his car where he`d gone to escape teargas. Demonstrators then protested alderman French`s arrest outside the police station. And a local film maker and columnist covering the protest were arrested, too.

There is no justification for the police force we have seen against peaceful residents. And intimidating the journalists trying to shine light on this story is shameful.

Joining me now are the two men arrested while they were covering that protest, Ryan Frank and Umar Lee. Thank you both for being here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re welcome.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you for having us.

SHARPTON: Umar, let me start with you. Why did the police say they were arresting you?

UMAR LEE, COLUMNIST ARRESTED IN FERGUSON: The police say they were arresting us for failing to obey an order. But we were standing on a public sidewalk monitoring the events. You know, they have been using teargas through the night, rough house tactics, riot to the streets I grew up in and tanks, sniper rifles. And we wanted to monitor what they were doing because the public has a right to know. When you don`t have a free media you don`t have a free society.

SHARPTON: That`s true. Ryan, what was going through your mind? What was your reaction when the police were going to arrest you during your journalistic profession?

RYAN FRANK, FILMMAKER ARRESTED IN FERGUSON: Well, I was expecting it at that point. I was walking up -- I`m sorry. Somebody was talking to me.

Go ahead.

SHARPTON: Umar, let me go back to you.

LEE: All right. Go ahead.

SHARPTON: What was going through your mind? Did they know y`all were journalists?

LEE: They knew who we were. One of the officers pointed at us and said there is nothing special about them. And Ryan, he is a film maker. I`m just a local independent journalist. They had no reason to arrest us whatsoever.

FRANK: Al, I was watching twitter and I was seeing reporters that were getting attacked. They were getting arrested. And we felt it was important to go down and cover the protests late night because we heard journalists were being pushed out. So we were down to monitor the situation and keep an eye on it. And I was shocked what I saw. Peaceful protesters were all of the sudden approached by a convoy of county S.W.A.T. who were intimidating us with assault rifles and batons.

SHARPTON: Now, I went the control room to put up the footage that is going on right now. This is live of the new protest is going on right now as I speak in the town of Ferguson, Missouri. These are people obviously peaceful, not lots of people. But clearly making their statement. They are marching as we speak to you.

Umar, what do you expect now that you have heard that the governor has changed who will be handling the protests there. What do you expect?

LEE: Well look, Reverend Al, this is the show me state. We are going to have to see. They`re talking but we have to see. You know, there are a lot of politicians over there last week. there is a lot of preachers with over the last week and there is a lot of good things to see. But we need some action demonstrate here in the community.

SHARPTON: Right.

LEE: North St. Louis county isn`t just Ferguson. It`s been burning for 30-some years without no systemic redress to the problems in the community. Now, we could use this to improve the community or we could use it to go in the other direction.

SHARPTON: One of the politicians I mentioned was Alderman Antonio French. He was arrested. I want to play to you what he said afterwards. Listen to this.

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ANTONIO FRENCH, ST. LOUIS ALDERMAN: I think they rounded up anybody they could see. Inside the jail is nothing but peacekeepers. They picked up the wrong people. It wasn`t the trouble makers. It was peace makers. You have reverends in there, young people organizing the peace effort. They picked up the wrong people.

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SHARPTON: Ryan, do you agree with that?

FRANK: Yes, sir. I mean, I don`t know what the right and the wrong people is. But all I saw peaceful protesters that were spirited and enthusiastic. They were exercising their rights to assemble. You know, I was shocked to see the convoy roll up and make us all leave. And that`s why we didn`t leave because we felt it was all right to sit on the sidewalk. You know, freedom of assembly.

SHARPTON: Umar, how were you treat had had in jail. What did you see in there? I heard what the alderman was saying. What did you see and how were you treated?

LEE: The jail was filthy. The jail was cold. There was a man in there having a seizure which the guards paid no attention to whatsoever. Think about this. We are the people in the community. We are the people that got a microphone. What about the average person to pick up although like my friend the other night who I grew up with. They shot his dog, robbed him and beat him, OK. So that`s what they are doing. We got the microphones so they treat us a little better, that they are going to treat the average people.

SHARPTON: All right. I have to leave it there. And I`m sure that you will continue in covering this story. Ryan Frank and Umar Lee, thank you both for being here tonight. And great reporting, by the way.

LEE: Thank you.

FRANK: All right. Thanks.

SHARPTON: Coming up, new developments in the investigation into Michael Brown`s death. President Obama talked about the secrecy.

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OBAMA: Now, when something like this happens, the local authorities, including the police, have the responsibility to be open and transparent about how they are investigating that death and how they are protecting the people in their communities.

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SHARPTON: But there are still so many basic questions that are left unanswered.

And is this a war zone in an American city? The militarization of police in America. Wait until you hear what actual military veterans are saying.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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CHIEF THOMAS JACKSON, FERGUSON POLICE DEPARTMENT: What I`m satisfied with is that, we haven`t hurt anybody. Nobody`s gotten injured or killed. With the chaos that`s going on right now, I am at least happy that nobody has gotten seriously injured.

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SHARPTON: Ferguson police Chief Thomas Jackson talking about the police tactics in Ferguson. But residents are for a very different account. Teargas burns the eyes, nose and throat. And rubber bullets cause real pain. This photo on twitter apparently shows the bruise suffered by a woman during the protest. Despite all that, protesters are marching again tonight on the streets of Ferguson, calling for justice for Michael Brown whose tragedy lay at the heart of all of this. As President Obama reminded us today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. BARACK OBAMA (D), UNITED STATES: It is important to remember how this started. We lost a young man, Michael Brown, in heartbreaking and tragic circumstances. He was 18 years old. His family will never hold Michael in their arms again.

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SHARPTON: Why are police refusing to answer even the most basic questions about Michael Brown`s death. That`s next.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: When something like this happens the local authorities including the police have a responsibility to be open and transparent about how they are investigating that death and how they are protecting the people in their communities. Now it`s the time for an open and transparent process to see that justice is done.

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SHARPTON: President Obama today calling for more transparency in the Michael Brown investigation. He has directed Attorney General Holder to investigate. But five days after Brown was shot and killed by a police officer, local police still refuse to provide even basic information about what happened that day.

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JACKSON: All the evidence has to be examined. All the ballistics have to be examined and most importantly all the witnesses have to be, you know, talked to extensively. And when all that is done and the toxicology reports ran and Mr. McCaul (ph) is going to have a very clear picture of what happened out there. And we`ll going to present that to the grand jury. We`re going to have a conversation about release of the name.

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SHARPTON: We still don`t know the name of the officer who shot Michael Brown. We still don`t know how many shots were fired. We still don`t know how long Michael Brown`s body was on the street and still we don`t know what the police incident report says about any of this. There are still so many unanswered questions about the shooting and the investigation. And now another eyewitnesses come forward to tell us what she saw when Michael Brown was killed.

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UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I get closer when I see them through the window. Like the kid was pulling off and the cop was like pulling in. The first gunshot came from the win so I could start getting out of the way because the shots just came after that. At this time, after the shot the kid breaks away. And he started running away from the cop. The cop follows him, kept shooting. And the kid`s body jerked as if he was hit. And as his body jerked he turned around, he put his hands up and the cop just continues to walk up on him and shoot him until he goes all the way down.

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SHARPTON: Joining me now is Jim Cavanaugh, MSNBC analyst and retired ATF agent. And back with us is Jamelle Bouie. Jamelle, why is it taking so long to get information about this investigation from officials in Missouri?

JAMELLE BOUIE, SLATE: So, no one actually knows why it`s taking so long to get information back. It really does seem like the police are stone walling. I mean, the fact that we don`t know the name of the officer who shot. It`s really shocking and really stunning. Nor do we know how many bullets are fired or nor do we know really anything other than what Brown`s friend described and what witnesses described this -- that there is no indication that Brown tried to escape and that the officer fired several times killing him. But aside from those physics, we don`t know anything and the police have been extremely reluctant to release any information. They won`t release the officer`s name claiming safety concerns.

SHARPTON: But Jamelle, when I was down there just a day and a half ago, I found a lot of what was driving a lot of the outrage was the secrecy. People not getting the answers. Dragging it out for whatever reasons feed the distrust in the community I`m picking up, more than anything.

BOUIE: I think that`s absolutely right. Everyone I have talked to whenever I asked them what can the police do right now to begin to heal the risk between the community. They said, release the name. They said, begin to treat this as if it were a tragedy and not just a mistake you need to cover up. And so, you know, if the police can do that, I think that may begin to less intentions. But at this point to run the situation where the initial decision not to release any information, the initial harsh, you know, harsh response to demonstrators and demonstrations has created even more distrust. The distrust has been feeding on itself. So, I`m not really sure if even releasing the name at this point would really satisfy people. But I do think it would have satisfied people on Sunday or Monday.

SHARPTON: Jim, you have been in law enforcement. And I have been around a lot of questions on law enforcement for a long time. Isn`t this unusual? I can`t recall five days later we don`t know the shooter. We don`t know how many bullet wounds, we don`t know anything. Why are we having this kind of delay here?

JIM CAVANAUGH, MSNBC ANALYST: Reverend Al, that is the most curious thing about the case. Because I think if you follow the case closely as you have, as I have, and many of the viewers have, then you have watched all of these witnesses interviewed on NBC and MSNBC. I have watched every one of them. This young woman you just had described the scene, looked at what the chief said and everybody. Tried to see what possibly could have happened here. And even if you take the most favorable description of the case from the officer`s point of view, even if you did that just for the sake of argument it`s still murder.

And there is no report that`s going to change that outcome of those facts. And so we have a crisis. We have a policeman killed a young man, who was unarmed, who was shot surrendering. There were at least three eyewitnesses I saw talk about it. And we have the gun. We have the bullets. We have the autopsy. And we are saying, we are waiting for a toxicology report that might take a number of weeks.

But look, Reverend, the toxicology report doesn`t matter what it says. In reality if they are both completely sober it changes nothing. If the policeman is on cocaine it changes nothing. If Michael Brown is intoxicated and the policemen is not, it changes nothing. If they`re both intoxicated, it changes nothing. It`s still going to be a cold-blooded shoot down of an unarmed man in the street. The toxicology won`t change any of that. So, I dismayed.

SHARPTON: Now, Jim, the thing that I find interesting. This young lady`s testimony corresponds with the other witness that we have heard. I mean, almost the same story. And as far as we know they don`t know each other. You`re saying the fact that even if you take the police version that there was an altercation, struggle for the gun. How does it become murder? When after the struggle the policeman, according to two witnesses, kept walking him down and shooting?

CAVANAUGH: You know, let me break it down for you quickly, Reverend Al. Because I think it does illustrate really what happened there. There`s words. The officer, you know, kind of, curses at him, tells him to get on the sidewalk. And then he backs up. The door is opened. There is an altercation. I don`t think any of that that`s in dispute either from the officer or from Michael Brown`s friend or the witnesses. So now there is a struggle at the car. That`s not in dispute what the witnesses is Michael Brown`s neck is grabbed and there is some pushing and pulling. The officer winds up with a bruise on his face.

So, let`s just take it, the version that happened there completely for the officer`s side. Let`s just say he was punched in the face, maybe Michael Brown went for his gun, I don`t believe that happened really. But let`s just say it did. And then the officer shoots him. And let`s just say for discussion that`s a justified shoot. When Michael Brown turns his back and walks away, that`s over. If that was a justified shoot, that`s over. If he gets out of the car and shoots him in the back, that`s murder.

If he follows him up, and turns and surrenders, that`s murder. So, even if the officer`s version is believed, which I think it`s not really believable from the other witnesses but even if you took it, it`s still murder. So, it`s not going to change the facts. So, I`m sort of dismayed that the United States attorney hasn`t got a complaint and, you know, made an arrest on this case. Because I think we are sort of waiting for the facts in evidence.

SHARPTON: I think your frustration is shared by many. And certainly by me. Jamelle Bouie and Jim Cavanaugh, thank you both for your time this evening.

These are live shots of protesters right now that have marched to the scene where this young man was killed. They are live. You see the protesters peacefully at the scene where this young man was, Michael Brown was shot and killed by a policeman five days ago. We`ll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SHARPTON: We are back with breaking news. Live pictures from a protest in the streets of Ferguson, Missouri. Protesters gather at the site of the Michael Brown shooting. So far tonight we are not seeing images like these from yesterday. Police armed with military weapons on the streets of an American city. This vehicle is called an MRAP Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected truck. It`s the same kind of vehicle used by the U.S. military. The police are also using a sonic cannon called an LRAD. The long-range acoustic device that emits powerful and painful alarm to control crowds. LRADs are commonly use by the military and can cause permanent hearing loss. Today, Ferguson`s police chief defended his officers and their tactics.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACKSON: The whole picture is being painted a little bit sideways from what`s really happening. And it`s not military. It`s tactical operations. It`s S.W.A.T. teams. That`s who`s out there. It`s police. We are doing this in blue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: We`re not seeing officers in blue, we`re seeing them in camouflage. Armed with automatic rifles, dressed in riot gear, wearing helmets and Kevlar vests. Why are the police snipers aiming assault rifles at protesters in broad daylights? It`s making Ferguson look like a war zone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: This is the Police Department. You must leave the area.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: Joining me now live from Ferguson is Chris Hayes who is hosting his show live from there tonight. Thanks for being here, Chris.

SHARPTON: This week we have seen a larger problem all across the country that you have covered a lot on your show. The problem of police outfitted as though they are military troops. What`s your reaction been?

HAYES: Well, this has been something -- this has kind of been waiting to happen. Because we have seen really all the way back since the 1990s when the S.W.A.T. team was created, the first S.W.A.T. team was created in Los Angeles. And that idea of having a S.W.A.T. team started to spread to Police Departments. It really took off after the war on terror when the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. military started essentially using surplus military equipment that was being generated and then not used by the military.

Those MRAPs you spoke about before that we saw the pictures of -- there are late model MRAPs that are actually being used deployed oversees. And that means that earlier model MRAP are sitting around, not being used. And it takes about a one form sheet from any local police office essentially to get a spare MRAP.

SHARPTON: Wow!

HAYES: And what happens with people and fancy gadgets and toys in all walks of life and all kinds of people, as if they can get them for free, they will get them. And what you have is very small Police Departments with very very heavy, sophisticated machinery that is not for civilian use.

SHARPTON: Now the federal government has been, it really has a surplus of military equipment. It`s been sending to Police Departments around the country since 2006. Four hundred thirty five armed vehicles. Five hundred and thirty three aircraft. Over 93,000 machine guns and 432 mine-resistant armored trucks. Chris, help me out. Why does the Police Department need a mine-resistant armored truck? I mean, are there mines on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, right now?

HAYES: There are no land mines in the streets of Ferguson, Missouri. And there is no reason to have an MRAP in the hands of a Ferguson Police Department of frankly, I think for the St. Louis County police. I mean, I would even be skeptical that those are really needed very much even in very large Police Departments. There are some very rare cases, active shooter situations, you know, people barricaded inside compounds in which a tactical team might be used. But as -- Balco has documented in his fantastic book about this, what happens is if you give them a hammer then everything looks like a nail.

So, if you have the MRAP sitting there and you have the sound cannon and you got the fancy, you know, rubber bullet assault rifles, then when a hundred people -- let`s keep in mind it was a hundred people last night in this intersection behind me late at night. When a hundred people show up, that`s when you decide it`s time to take out the MRAP because the MRAP is sitting in the garage and this is the perfect time to use it.

SHARPTON: Chris, please stand by. I want to bring in Dr. Cedric Alexander, the president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement executives. Thank you, Dr. Alexander.

DR. CEDRIC ALEXANDER, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF BLACK LAW ENFORCEMENT: Thank you for having me, Reverend.

You know, today we have seen democrats and republicans speaking out against the militarized police. Senator Elizabeth Warren tweeted, quoted, "This is America, not a war zone. The people of Ferguson just want answers. We all want answers." Senator Rand Paul released a statement saying, quote, "The images and scenes we continue to see in Ferguson resemble war more than traditional police action." I mean, Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill talked about it as well. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CLAIRE MCCASKILL (D), MISSOURI: We began equipping Police Departments with all kinds of tools that had not been typical of policing in this country. And maybe it`s time to look at all of that. And make a determination as to how effective is a show of what is military force in obviously an intensely emotionally charged environment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: As a police chief, how do you respond to that? How do you see this?

ALEXANDER: Well, let me say this, Reverend Sharpton. First of all, under the circumstances in which we are looking at there in that city in Missouri, there were certainly a lot of equipment there that creates a lot of pause with all of us, particularly the fact that you`re talking about citizens who are trying to march peacefully. It didn`t have a good image attached to it whatsoever. We all agree with that. And there are going to be some changes obviously going to be made in there tonight with the state police coming in.

I think you are going to see a much softer approach to those that are going to march in peace. And for those who may go outside the law, those few that may go outside of the law, they will be managed individually. But you cannot assert or make the assumption that just because a number of people marched peacefully that they should have to be confronted by such heavy artillery.

SHARPTON: It`s not only artillery, Dr. Alexander. We have seen police use teargas to disperse the crowd which is really disturbing because teargas is a chemical weapon that the Geneva Convention bans from use in international warfare. It is banned for military use but we are seeing it being used on citizens of Ferguson, Missouri, by their own police force.

ALEXANDER: Absolutely. And that is certainly of concern to all of us that sit and watched this every night for five nights in our homes. But the important peace here is that a change is going to be made. We all glad to see that change. We`ll welcome that change. And for those who will go out, and march tonight in peace, in remembrance of a young man who lost his life, we can all applaud the State Police who are going to come in and who are going to manage and respect the citizens there in that community.

SHARPTON: Yes.

ALEXANDER: But let me say one other thing, Reverend Sharpton. I will be there. I will be in the city on Saturday. And I hope to have an opportunity and I will have an opportunity as I have had on a couple of occasions to speak with Chief Tom Jackson. And certainly have an opportunity to share some ideas and thoughts with him going forward. Because as of now he`s still the chief of that city. He still has a Police Department that he has to protect. But we are going to sit down and work with him and do some things to help him and his department move forward.

SHARPTON: I`ve got to move on. Let me thank you, Dr. Cedric Alexander. Chris Hayes, you`re there, you`re on the scene doing your show from there tonight. What can we expect to see?

HAYES: Well, it was quite a day here in Ferguson and in St. Louis and the state of Missouri. We attended the press conference of Jay Nixon. He was forced to speak. After a while, we just saw a nonviolent protest as it marched down the street. And this one was different because it was being led by Captain Johnson of the state highway patrol, the man newly appointed by the governor to oversee the, quote, "security situation." He`s an African-American man, he grew up here. He was marching and hugging, he was hugging the protesters. So far there is a different tone. But there has been a very different tone between day and nightfall. So, we will see what night brings tonight.

SHARPTON: Chris Hayes and Dr. Cedric Alexander, thank you both for your time tonight.

ALEXANDER: Thank you, Rev.

SHARPTON: And be sure to watch a special edition of "ALL IN WITH CHRIS HAYES" live from Ferguson tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. We`ll be right back.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. END

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